The present invention relates generally to articles of clothing and in particular to a customization system for printing onto tubular articles.
Systems for printing onto three dimensional articles are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,641 to Carlson discloses methods and an apparatus for imprinting indicia on a three dimensional article using an ink jet image transfer technique. Carlson uses an article positioning apparatus that maintains the surface of the three dimensional article to be printed within a plane substantially parallel and spaced apart from the plane of the ink jet nozzles. Carlson discloses printing onto a baseball bat, which is typically a rigid article having a relatively uniform smooth surface for printing.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus for holding non-rigid articles, including articles of clothing and tubular articles, to provide a substantially uniform flat surface for printing.